Sermon On: Life's Beggar Truth

Sermon On: Life's Beggar Truth

by Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven

Original Source

Encoded documents and images are derived from manuscripts in the Papers of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven in Special Collections at the University of Maryland, College Park, Libraries. In addition, individual pages or leaves of manuscripts are identified by the corresponding reel and frame numbers of the microfilm edition of the Freytag-Lorinhoven Papers.

Witness List

First: Reel 5, Frames 485 to 491

Second: Reel 5, Frames 429, 504, 493 to 496

Third: Reel 5, Frames 499 to 503

Fourth: Reel 5, Frames 505 to 508

Fifth: Reel 5, Frames 511 to 516

Sixth: Reel 5, Frames 517 to 521

Textual Notes

The poem was
written between 1923 and 1927. To the editor's knowledge, it has not been reprinted or
published.

Electronic Edition Information:

Responsibility Statement:

Publication Details:

Published by Tanya Clement.

Office of Digital Collections and Research (DCR), University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven's poetry is printed here with the support of the University of Maryland Libraries. Permission to reproduce images of
Freytag-Loringhoven's manuscripts has also been generously granted by the libraries.

This poem and manuscript drafts are available from this site for
demonstration purposes only. Though the intellectual property of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven is in the public domain, all annotations and editorial commentary are copyrighted. They may not be reproduced without explicit
permission from the copyright holder. For copyright information, please
contact Tanya Clement.

Encoding Principles

Versions 4,5, and 6 were used as models for the structure of this prose-poem.
Versions 1, 2, and 3 are marked here in terms of their substantive and
accidental changes.

X
Critical Introduction

Critical Introduction

The Baroness also used genre as a poetic element in her poetry. "Sermon on
Life's Beggar Truth" is a prose-poem with wave-like, seemingly unfettered,
bouts of prose interspersed throughout more structured lines of poetry. The
style, meant to evoke the sensation of poetry and prose at once, is fitting
with the poem's theme, which is about the artist's struggle to create
imaginative work or poetry when she is without basic (in other words,
"prosaic" or unpoetical) needs such as shelter (an "abode" or a "roof"),
food, money, and physical freedom. "Imagination" is powered ("battery
potency effusions") by cosmic forces that guide the artist by way of her
"navel magnetical compass needle," her "cosmos phallus." This force makes
the artist free from these more worldly concerns: her "legs are unhitched to
stray –flinty pavement free – for – nothing," until worldly needs press.
Then, one must "build – buy – abode – rent roof" as an act of "common
sense," which is prosaic, "sober," and responsible (a "citizen") and
reliable, practical, and necessary for survival (like a "map"). This
contradiction is represented structurally by prose sections that read like
long lines of poetry—"that feat demands expert steady mind –harsh
clutch—sinister harlot smile" juxtaposed with lines of text that look like
poetry but either convey no new meaning (sometimes as one word that is part
of the previous line such as "Menacing" or "it" in the example below), one
word that is more like a misleading heading (such as "Acruise" or "Behold"),
or a complete line (such as "There is no higher treasure") that refers back
to the prose section like some prophetic outburst.

The contradiction that exists between prose and poetic language is juxtaposed
in the poem just as the contradiction that exists between common sense and
imagination and the need to eat and the need to create must become unified
in the artist at the end of the "Sermon." In conclusion, poets become
inherently contradictory as "fragile demigods - teetering architects," who
-"in tip-toe equilibrium's continuous peril" are "erecting word castles for
world ideas," until these "idealists in flesh - lightning rods [sic]
inspired foils –quickened dirt" who are "unpaid - unhoused – unfed /
realize: / absolutes demand for:/ concrete / abode." Of course, for the
Baroness, there is another contradiction at the heart of the poetic ideal:
between creating art for art's sake and creating art for money. Thus, she
dedicates (or "desecrates") the poem to "Marcel" (Marcel Duchamp) and to
"Carlos" (William Carlos Williams) both of whom she denounces in life for
becoming popular artists, for "selling out" to the public.

Just as it is not the case that the Baroness's extant manuscripts are all in an unarranged state, of "sixes and sevens" (as Barnes wrote to Peter Whigham). Some of the Baroness's extant manuscripts may be easily arranged from rough draft to final version, sometimes with clear instructions from the poet on a final edit. For example, the Baroness writes in a letter to Marie Jolas at transition, "I am worried by pestering [unclear] flea - ever since I sent you 'lifes beggartruth' that you will forget to put in 'numbskulledly"' in it's proper place – 'snooze in doldrums - numbskulledly defy current.'" In this case, the Baroness has a final, published version in mind, at least for this line in a poem she never saw published, due in all probability to its length. In a letter to the Baroness from Marie Jolas, dated October 12, 1927, Jolas explains that they cannot use another long poem by the Baroness "Contradictory Speculations" because it is "too long for our use" though she does not mention "Sermon on Life's Beggar Truth," a fact which prompts the Baroness to add at the end of her note about "Sermon": "Of course - you have not yet accepted it - to my knowledge?"

The Russian term for "accident" normally refers
to the collision of two ships. The word derives from the Arabic "awar"
(flaw, damage) and entered Germanic languages early on, becoming "Havarie"
in German. In Grimm's Dictionary, the etymological dictionary the Brothers
Grimm began compiling in 1838, "Havarie" is hardly felt to be a foreign word
any longer. Another dictionary claims the word originally refered to damaged
cargo. These days, Germans apply the word "Havarie" to catastrophes at sea
and in the sky; the term can be applied to ships as well as to airplanes.
source:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,411284,00.html.

In a letter to transition,
Freytag-Loringhoven wrote, "AND I AM WORRIED BY PESTERING
?? FLEA - EVER SINCE I SENT YOU '_"LIFES
BEGGARTRUTH" THAT YOU WILL FORGET TO PUT IN
"NUMBSKULLEDLY" IN IT'S PROPER PLACE -SNOOZE IN DOLDRUMS -
NUMBSKULLEDLY DEFY CURRENT." OF COURSE - YOU HAVE NOT YET ACCEPTED
IT - TO MY KNOWLEDGE?"

- DESTITUTE OFDESTITUTE OF CONVENTIONAL MEANS WITHOUT CONVENTIONAL MEANS ??SHORN OFF FOR BY WANT OF PALPITATING GUTSBYIMPERFECT WANT LACKLACK OF PALPITATING GUTS - ?? SYSTEMIS PORESAIR AIR S PORES CLOY WITH AIR FOR WANT OF
PALPITATING GUTS - CLOYS WITH AIR FOR WANT OF PALIPATING GUTS WITH AIR .

LIFE DYNAMO c

Look up that
guy's discussion of the Henry Adams book in the "readymades"
artical tht was writeen I think i nthe little review.

IS
COMPLICATEDLIFE LIFE DYNAMO IS COMPLICATED.

PRINCIPLE IS SIMPLE

THUS DARE THUS

HENCE

DARE I

HENCE
I SAY I SAY :

HENCE SAY
I:

NOBODY IS FULLFLEDGED MAYABEE THAT NOT WAS CHOKED PURPLE BY SPIDER
- THAN GIVEN GRANTED AIR - NOBODY IS FULLFLEDGED WORLD CITIZEN HUMANMAYABEEBEINGWORLD CITIZEN HUMAN FELLOW
BEING -THAT IS LOVELY NOT BEEN CHOKED PURPLE BY SPIDER THAN

Alternate spelling: THEN

GIVEN AIR ??- NOT WAS BEEN CHOKED PURPLE BY SPIDER - THAN

Alternate spelling: THEN

GIVEN AIR -NOBODY THAT NOT HAS BEEN IS SPIRIT WINGED PINNIONEDPINNIONED- ADVENTURING MAYABEEINGOUSMAYABEE - AS - LOVELY ARDENT - NAUGHTY - CREDULOUS EXALTED - CREDULOUS - CHASTENED
SERENELY CHASTENED - FULLFLEDGED MAYABEE THAT NOT HAS BEEN CHOKED PURPLE BY
SPIDER - THAN GIVEN AIR -

FULLFLEDGED MAYABEE -

AS HE FOR FOR AS EITHER HE HE IS UNTRIED TYRO - VANQUISHED CORPSE - OROR UNTRIED TYRO IN EACH INSTANCE - - UNEMERGED - CANNOT SIM MERGE - THOUGH SYIMPHATH??IZE SIMPATIZEIN ONE DISTANTLY SIMPATIZE

The Russian term for "accident" normally refers
to the collision of two ships. The word derives from the Arabic "awar"
(flaw, damage) and entered Germanic languages early on, becoming "Havarie"
in German. In Grimm's Dictionary, the etymological dictionary the Brothers
Grimm began compiling in 1838, "Havarie" is hardly felt to be a foreign word
any longer. Another dictionary claims the word originally refered to damaged
cargo. These days, Germans apply the word "Havarie" to catastrophes at sea
and in the sky; the term can be applied to ships as well as to airplanes.
source:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,411284,00.html.

In a letter to transition,
Freytag-Loringhoven wrote, "AND I AM WORRIED BY PESTERING
?? FLEA - EVER SINCE I SENT YOU '_"LIFES
BEGGARTRUTH" THAT YOU WILL FORGET TO PUT IN
"NUMBSKULLEDLY" IN IT'S PROPER PLACE -SNOOZE IN DOLDRUMS -
NUMBSKULLEDLY DEFY CURRENT." OF COURSE - YOU HAVE NOT YET ACCEPTED
IT - TO MY KNOWLEDGE?"

- DESTITUTE OFDESTITUTE OF CONVENTIONAL MEANS WITHOUT CONVENTIONAL MEANS ??SHORN OFF FOR BY WANT OF PALPITATING GUTSBYIMPERFECT WANT LACKLACK OF PALPITATING GUTS - ?? SYSTEMIS PORESAIR AIR S PORES CLOY WITH AIR FOR WANT OF
PALPITATING GUTS - CLOYS WITH AIR FOR WANT OF PALIPATING GUTS WITH AIR .

LIFE DYNAMO c

Look up that
guy's discussion of the Henry Adams book in the "readymades"
artical tht was writeen I think i nthe little review.

IS
COMPLICATEDLIFE LIFE DYNAMO IS COMPLICATED.

PRINCIPLE IS SIMPLE

THUS DARE THUS

HENCE

DARE I

HENCE
I SAY I SAY :

HENCE SAY
I:

NOBODY IS FULLFLEDGED MAYABEE THAT NOT WAS CHOKED PURPLE BY SPIDER
- THAN GIVEN GRANTED AIR - NOBODY IS FULLFLEDGED WORLD CITIZEN HUMANMAYABEEBEINGWORLD CITIZEN HUMAN FELLOW
BEING -THAT IS LOVELY NOT BEEN CHOKED PURPLE BY SPIDER THAN

Alternate spelling: THEN

GIVEN AIR ??- NOT WAS BEEN CHOKED PURPLE BY SPIDER - THAN

Alternate spelling: THEN

GIVEN AIR -NOBODY THAT NOT HAS BEEN IS SPIRIT WINGED PINNIONEDPINNIONED- ADVENTURING MAYABEEINGOUSMAYABEE - AS - LOVELY ARDENT - NAUGHTY - CREDULOUS EXALTED - CREDULOUS - CHASTENED
SERENELY CHASTENED - FULLFLEDGED MAYABEE THAT NOT HAS BEEN CHOKED PURPLE BY
SPIDER - THAN GIVEN AIR -

FULLFLEDGED MAYABEE -

AS HE FOR FOR AS EITHER HE HE IS UNTRIED TYRO - VANQUISHED CORPSE - OROR UNTRIED TYRO IN EACH INSTANCE - - UNEMERGED - CANNOT SIM MERGE - THOUGH SYIMPHATH??IZE SIMPATIZEIN ONE DISTANTLY SIMPATIZE

This next section of
the first version from "So" to "Mistily Bright" has been inserted
here by the author with an "x" starting the section it is to replace
and a "v" marking the end of this section.

The Russian term for "accident" normally refers
to the collision of two ships. The word derives from the Arabic "awar"
(flaw, damage) and entered Germanic languages early on, becoming "Havarie"
in German. In Grimm's Dictionary, the etymological dictionary the Brothers
Grimm began compiling in 1838, "Havarie" is hardly felt to be a foreign word
any longer. Another dictionary claims the word originally refered to damaged
cargo. These days, Germans apply the word "Havarie" to catastrophes at sea
and in the sky; the term can be applied to ships as well as to airplanes.
source:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,411284,00.html.

va1

Highlight prose section

In a letter to transition,
Freytag-Loringhoven wrote, "AND I AM WORRIED BY PESTERING
?? FLEA - EVER SINCE I SENT YOU '_"LIFES
BEGGARTRUTH" THAT YOU WILL FORGET TO PUT IN
"NUMBSKULLEDLY" IN IT'S PROPER PLACE -SNOOZE IN DOLDRUMS -
NUMBSKULLEDLY DEFY CURRENT." OF COURSE - YOU HAVE NOT YET ACCEPTED
IT - TO MY KNOWLEDGE?"

va4

Highlight prose section

I.C.C.S.U.B.D.C.P.

va4

Highlight prose section

Look up that
guy's discussion of the Henry Adams book in the "readymades"
artical tht was writeen I think i nthe little review.

va5

Highlight prose section

Version #va5 seems to end here. It is likely that either the pages
were lost or the pages are inside another folder, mislabeled as part
of another manuscript.

Sorry, but there are no notes associated with
any currently displayed witness.